Celebrate Birds (and all of nature!) during

Nature Forward’s 44th Birdathon April 15 – May 31

What is the Birdathon?

The flight of migratory birds painting the sky. The vibrant symphony of birdsong.
The anticipation and hope of spotting rare species. Nature Forward’s 44th Birdathon celebrates all of those joys and provides an opportunity to give back to nature. Similar to a walkathon, Birdathon participants count bird species (or anything in nature) and ask friends, family, and others in their networks to pledge donations based on their counts.

It’s an engaging and effective way to enjoy nature while supporting Nature Forward’s mission work. Last year, Birdathon counters raised more than $75,000. 

Three ways to get involved!
two men with binoculars looking for birds
Start or join a
Birdathon team

You can count birds as an individual or as part of a team, and collect pledges from people who know. Or you can simply make a pledge to a participating counter or team.

man holding binoculars in a wooded area
Make a one-time Birdathon donation

The easiest way to support Nature Forward’s conservation and education mission work across the region is by making an individual donation in any amount.

woman looking through binoculars at flying birds
Be a Birdathon
Corporate Sponsor

A powerful way to support our mission and showcase your organization’s community leadership is by joining us as a 2024 Birdation Corporate Sponsor.

Pledge donations received through the Birdathon support Nature Forward’s conservation, nature education, and environmental advocacy work across the DC region, and help advance our vision to create a larger and more diverse community of people who treasure the natural world and work to preserve it.

Why count birds?

Nature Forward’s mission is to inspire residents of the greater Washington, DC region to appreciate, understand, and protect their natural environment through outdoor experiences, education, and advocacy. And it all started with birds. “The protection and study of birds” were founding principles when volunteers organized the Audubon Society of the District of Columbia in 1897. In later years, our mission expanded to include broader nature conservation and education goals, but birds remain a core part of Nature Forward’s DNA.

And birding is booming almost everywhere! A recent survey by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found that as many as 45 million Americans enjoy birding, making it one of the fastest-growing pastimes in the country. According to estimates, more than 35% of people of all backgrounds over age 16 participated in at least one outdoor birding activity in 2022.

Read about birding’s mental health benefits in this article from TIME magazine

For anyone interested in getting into birding, the Birdathon is a great place to start.

Questions? 

Erin Mosley, Manager of Membership & Annual Giving,
at [email protected] or 301-450-1471

See our results from last year’s event:

THANK YOU to 2023 Bloomin’ Birdathon sponsors:
Premier Sponsors
Leading Sponsors
Link Strategic Partners
Contributing Sponsors